The Representation of American

Society in Baseball

The Representation of American

Society in Baseball

How has baseball reflected American

society over the course of the first

half of the 20th century?

How has baseball reflected American

society over the course of the first

half of the 20th century?

Well--it's our game; that's Well--it's our game; that's the chief fact in the chief fact in

connection with it: connection with it: America's game; it has America's game; it has

the snap, go, fling of the the snap, go, fling of the American atmosphere; it American atmosphere; it belongs as much to our belongs as much to our

institutions, fits into institutions, fits into them as significantly as them as significantly as

our Constitution's laws; is our Constitution's laws; is just as important in the just as important in the sum total of our historic sum total of our historic

life.life.Walt WhitmanWalt WhitmanWalt WhitmanWalt Whitman

1900

s1900

s

US Histor

y

US Histor

y

Progressive EraProgressive EraProgressive EraProgressive EraWhen Teddy Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States, his goal was to change what had become of his beloved nation

Roosevelt entered office at a time in which the U.S. was already undergoing a slight transformation

The Progressive Era, as it became known, was a period of reform that lasted from the 1890s through the 1920s

Progressive Era MovementsProgressive Era MovementsProgressive Era MovementsProgressive Era Movements

This era helped influence movements such as:

Social Gospel advocates

Education reform

Trustbusters

Banking reform

Goo-Goo’s

Populists

Conservationism

Workers Rights

Social Justice

Temperance

Suffragettes

Muckrackers

Settlement Houses

Key Aspects of the Key Aspects of the Progressive EraProgressive Era

Key Aspects of the Key Aspects of the Progressive EraProgressive EraHepburn Act of 1906

Gave the ICC the power to set maximum railroad rates

Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902

Lasted 163 days

Workers given a 10% pay increase and awarded a nine-hour day

Organized labor celebrated the outcome as a victory for all unions

Square Deal

Program that curbed “bad” trusts and encouraged “good” trusts

Immigration in the 1900sImmigration in the 1900sImmigration in the 1900sImmigration in the 1900s

During the 1900s many Jews, Italians, Asians (first 1/2 of the decade), and Russians entered America

The Role of Women The Role of Women in the Progressive Erain the Progressive EraThe Role of Women The Role of Women

in the Progressive Erain the Progressive Era

Jane AddamsLeader in both the

women’s suffrage and the pacifist movement

Ida TarbellOne of the leading

muckrakers and the author of The History of the Standard

Oil Company

Baseball

Baseball

Players Protective Players Protective AssociationAssociation

Players Protective Players Protective AssociationAssociation

Players Protective Association is founded in 1900

Originated from the Brotherhood of Professional Baseball players (1885)

One of the first unions created by players who objected the reserve clause

Forced players to stay with one team at the owners disposal

Players had no say as to where they were traded/sold

Byron Bancroft JohnsonByron Bancroft Johnson Byron Bancroft JohnsonByron Bancroft Johnson

Created the American League in 1901, which offered higher salaries and better contract options

Players like Cy Young, John McGraw, and Nap Lajoie jumped from the National League

Cracked down on dirty play and banned liquor from ballparks

Baseball was becoming a more acceptable activity

Immigration and BaseballImmigration and BaseballBaseball was becoming a reflection of the changing ethnic composition of America.

Many European immigrants became club owners due to limited entrepreneurial opportunities in a less risky environment.

A number of Northern and Eastern European immigrants played on teams as a means for social mobility.

Olaf Henriksen DenmarkOlaf Henriksen DenmarkOlaf Henriksen DenmarkOlaf Henriksen Denmark

Alta WeissAlta WeissAlta WeissAlta Weiss

1907 First Woman to Play Professional Baseball

Take Me Out to the Ball Take Me Out to the Ball GameGame

Take Me Out to the Ball Take Me Out to the Ball GameGame"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.Buy me some peanuts and cracker

jack,I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.For it's one, two, three strikes, you're

out,At the old ball game."

Jack Norworth1907

1910s1910s1910s1910s

US History

US History

A New World PowerA New World PowerA New World PowerA New World PowerThe 1910s were a period of great change for the United States

Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt’s progressive mindset, the US was finally known as a ‘world power’

Many of the same issues found in the 1900s were still present, including:

Escalation of immigration and poverty

Labor and monopoly battles

Work safety and child labor problems

Unfortunately, this seemingly positive decade ended with the US involved in the first world war

Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonIn 1914, Wilson created the federal trade commission

The purpose of the FTC was to stop unfair trade practices

In addition, President Wilson passed the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914

According to Samuel Gompers, leader of the American Federation of Labor, this act was the Magna Carta of labor

This act made certain business practices illegal and made individual company officers liable if their company violated the law

It also ended union liability antitrust laws

Labor UnionsLabor UnionsLabor UnionsLabor UnionsDuring the 1910s, labor unions continued to grow as the middle classes became increasingly unhappy

Unsafe working conditions were highlighted by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

In this disaster 146 female workers were killed, spurring the growth of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union

Children were hired to work in factories, mills, and mines in unsafe conditions for many hours

By the middle of the decade every state had passed a minimum age law

Industrial Workers of the Industrial Workers of the WorldWorld

Industrial Workers of the Industrial Workers of the WorldWorldThe IWW was the most militant working

class organization at the time

This union was formed from a mixture of unions fighting for better conditions in the west’s mining industry

They felt that all workers should be united within a single union as well as the wage system abolished

The organization helped improve conditions for migratory farm workers by using direct action at the point of production and striking “on the job”

By 1912, the organization had around 50,000 members and was involved in over 150 strikes

WobbliesWobbliesWobbliesWobblies“The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as

hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the

employing class, have all the good things of life. Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class,

take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the

Earth.”

Lawrence Textile StrikeLawrence Textile StrikeLawrence Textile StrikeLawrence Textile StrikeThis strike was led by the IWW after the mill owner decided to lower wages

This strike was ground-breaking in two ways:

The strike was primarily led by women

It was the first strike in America that brought working people together from over 25 different nations

The slogan “Bread and Roses” was first originated in this strike

In the end, the workers won pay increases, time-and-a-quarter pay for overtimes, and no discrimination against strikers

The strikers are also credited with inventing the moving picket line

BaseballBaseball

The First, First PitchThe First, First PitchThe First, First PitchThe First, First Pitch

William Howard Taft establishes the tradition of throwing out the first pitch on

April 14, 1910

Player-Owner Player-Owner RelationshipsRelationshipsPlayer-Owner Player-Owner RelationshipsRelationshipsPlayers were becoming increasingly frustrated

with poor conditions on and off the field

1912-Players Fraternity created

Attempted to negotiate better conditions, but quickly fell apart

1912-First players strike

Detroit Tigers players struck over Ty Cobb’s suspension after fighting with a fan

Tigers President, Frank J. Navin, hired scabs off the street to replace his striking players

This and numerous other problems helped to increase the sense of injustice within baseball, eventually leading to the Black Sox Scandal

The Black SoxThe Black SoxThe Black SoxThe Black SoxCharles Comiskey, Owner of the Chicago White Sox, paid extremely low wages and treated his players poorly

Due to their poor treatment, players leaped at any opportunity to earn more money

A group of players including: Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte, accepted money to throw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds

Charles ComiskeyCharles ComiskeyCharles ComiskeyCharles Comiskey

The ScandalThe ScandalThe ScandalThe ScandalMultiple rumors and accusations led to the investigation of eight players, and their eventual trials

During the investigation, both Cicotte and Jackson confessed, although shortly after their confessions went missing

Now, with no evidence, all eight players were acquitted

Because of the evident problems, Federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was brought in as the sport’s first commissioner

Unfortunately for the players, Landis was not as forgiving and banned all eight players for life

Federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain Federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain LandisLandis

Federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain Federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain LandisLandis“Regardless of the

verdict of the juries, no player

who throws a ball game, no player

who undertakes or promises to throw

a ball game, no player who sits in confidence with a bunch of crooked players and does not promptly tell his club about it,

will ever play professional baseball.”

World War One and World War One and BaseballBaseball

World War One and World War One and BaseballBaseballBan Johnson ordered his teams to learn

close-order drills

John K. Tener, President of the National League, stated “This is a war of democracy against bureaucracy. And I tell you that baseball is the very watchword of democracy.”

With baseball now one of the leaders in the entertainment industry, owners felt no reason to stop playing

This decision sparked a great deal of criticism across the nation along with a drastic decline in attendance

Players or Soldiers?Players or Soldiers?Players or Soldiers?Players or Soldiers?Owners argued that baseball be considered an essential industry so that players could not be drafted

Secretary of War Newton D. Baker disagreed with this statement, leading to the drafting of 227 MLB players

Three professional players were killed in combat, one of whom was Eddie Grant, former captain of the Giants

Eddie GrantEddie GrantEddie GrantEddie Grant

1920

s1920

s

US Histor

y

US Histor

y

Isolationism, The New Isolationism, The New American IdealAmerican Ideal

Isolationism, The New Isolationism, The New American IdealAmerican Ideal

Disillusioned by the failure of the war to achieve high ideals promised by President Woodrow Wilson, Americans chose isolationism

Isolationism led to the reliance of homegrown ideals

This renewed sense of nationalism created the need for a hometown hero

Charles Lindbergh

Babe Ruth

The Roaring The Roaring TwentiesTwenties

The Roaring The Roaring TwentiesTwentiesThe 1920s were given the

nickname the Roaring Twenties, due to the immense array of new consumer goods

Although it took time to convert from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy, the decade saw the US become the richest country in the world

America’s newfound wealth led to an increased interest in the many aspects of the entertainment industry, such as: sports, movies, and music

Al JolsonAl JolsonAl JolsonAl JolsonLangston HughesLangston HughesLangston HughesLangston Hughes

The Unfortunate The Unfortunate FewFew

The Unfortunate The Unfortunate FewFewIn spite of America’s numerous advancements,

African Americans, once again, did not benefit, along with the many other “2nd Class Citizens”

70 million people lived below the poverty level of $2000 a year per family

After the US entrance in WWI, in which African Americans were put into segregated units run by whites, the belief that blacks were “sub-human” remained in the back of everyone’s mind

Three months later, in the city of Chicago, 38 people were killed, 537 were injured, and ~1000 were left homeless after the Chicago Race Riot of 1919

This constant disrespect for Blacks resulted in a new sense of black pride, which led not only to the famed Harlem Renaissance, but to the creation of a handful of “black-only” baseball leagues, known as the “Negro Leagues”

Baseball

Baseball

The End of the Dead-Ball The End of the Dead-Ball EraEra

The End of the Dead-Ball The End of the Dead-Ball EraEraIn 1920, Major League Baseball instituted a

new set of rules which reduced the pitcher’s arsenal and improved the hitter’s chance at making solid contact

The extent to which offense dominated the 1920s is even difficult to comprehend today

From 1921-1930, each league neither league batted under .280

This new, exciting style of play coupled with America's economic boom led to an increase in baseball’s attendance and popularity

Nobody exhibited this shift towards offensive production more than Babe Ruth

The Great The Great BambinoBambinoThe Great The Great BambinoBambinoHis towering

home runs and mammoth swings helped counter the negative effects of the Black Sox scandal and WWI

He exemplified the average American due to his rise from lowly origins and his enthusiasm for the game

Great Ballplayers of the Great Ballplayers of the 1920s1920s

Great Ballplayers of the Great Ballplayers of the 1920s1920s“What the fans saw, during the 1920s, were

many of the most colorful and distinctive players in the history of the game. Babe Ruth was the era’s great personality, of course, but there were many others who remain nearly as

vivid in our memories.”

- Joseph Wallace

Dizzy DeanDizzy DeanDizzy DeanDizzy Dean Dazzy VanceDazzy VanceDazzy VanceDazzy Vance Lefty GomezLefty GomezLefty GomezLefty Gomez

The RadioThe RadioThe RadioThe RadioWith the creation of the radio, a new industry was developed that broadcasted play-by-play descriptions of baseball games

On August 5, 1921 Westinghouse station’s Harold Arlin broadcasted the first game from Forbes Field

The Negro The Negro LeaguesLeagues

The Negro The Negro LeaguesLeaguesIn 1920, Rube Foster, a former ballplayer,

founded the Negro National League

A second league, the Eastern Colored League, was established in 1923

The ECL folded in 1928 and led to the creation of the American Negro league in 1929

The NNL did well until Foster passed away in 1930

Unfortunately, this came at a time in which not only baseball was suffering, but America was as well

Without a strong leader the NNL entered into the Great Depression and fell apart

Who is the Greatest Hitter of All-Time?Who is the Greatest Hitter of All-Time?Who is the Greatest Hitter of All-Time?Who is the Greatest Hitter of All-Time?

Batting AverageBatting AverageBatting AverageBatting Average.350.350.350.350 .342.342.342.342

Home Home RunsRunsHome Home RunsRuns

~800~800~800~800 714714714714

You DecideYou DecideYou DecideYou DecideJosh Gibson Babe Ruth

1930

s1930

s

US Histor

y

US Histor

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The Great The Great DepressionDepressionThe Great The Great

DepressionDepressionDue to underconsumption and obvious social inequalities, the United States found itself found itself spiraling downwards as it entered a state of depression in 1929

Although the stock market crash didn’t instantly plunge all Americans into debt, it left 1/3 of all the country’s population in serious need of help by 1932

America’s other 2/3 suffered from reductions in job security, money income, and hours of work

A large part of why the depression was so damaging was because of the US’ laissez-faire president Herbert Hoover

Fortunately, in the election of 1932, the US chose a man fit for the presidency, Franklin D. Roosevelt

FDR and the New FDR and the New DealDeal

FDR and the New FDR and the New DealDealAfter entering office, FDR almost

immediately took action in an attempt to fix what his predecessor chose not to

Roosevelt’s New Deal had three components: direct relief, economic recovery, and financial reform

Although a couple of FDR’s agencies were unsuccessful, a great number helped to recover a struggling nation

CCC, PWA, WPA, FSA, SEC, FDIC, TVA

In 1938, he also created the FSLA, establishing minimum wage

Baseball

Baseball

The Depression and The Depression and BaseballBaseball

The Depression and The Depression and BaseballBaseballThe Depression hit baseball almost as

hard as it hit the nation

Young men came to spring training not looking for stardom but simply looking for a job

Attendance dropped drastically as fans could no longer afford the cost to get into a game

Others, unwilling to give up baseball, made the ballpark hot dog their meal of the day

Many people felt that baseball should be suspended, but a slightly prominent figure in American society believed that it should continue...

Franklin Delano Franklin Delano RooseveltRoosevelt

Franklin Delano Franklin Delano RooseveltRooseveltFDR realized the importance of social

outlets in the midst of the depression and emphasized baseball’s continuation

In the President’s mind, politics and baseball were intertwined, and both were useful in supporting society’s morale and confidence

Baseball, like the New Deal, battled public apathy, resignation, defeat, and despair

During his speeches, Roosevelt compared baseball to his New Deal to instill understanding and boost the public’s confidence

Franklin Delano Franklin Delano RooseveltRoosevelt

Franklin Delano Franklin Delano RooseveltRooseveltFDR labeled owners and players as

examples of American spirit and dedication

Historian Marc Okkoken said, “He [FDR] presented a vigorous image and energetically supported baseball throughout his presidential years.”

In 1932, Roosevelt stated “Baseball as a sport has done as much as anything to keep up the spirits of people when they were losing their jobs and were in the midst of the depression.”

Fireside ChatsFireside ChatsFireside ChatsFireside ChatsThroughout FDR’s famed fireside chats, he often used Baseball metaphors in hope that they would simplify his complex ideas

On May 7, 1933, in his second fireside chat, Roosevelt spoke of “making a hit” and “winning for the team”

“I know that the people of this country will understand this and will also understand the spirit in which we are

undertaking this policy. I do not deny that we may make mistakes of procedure as we carry out the policy. I have

no expectationof making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is

the highest possible batting average, not only for myself but for the team. Theodore Roosevelt once said to me: If I can be right 75 percent of the time, I shall come up to the

fullest measure of my hopes.”

The Annual First The Annual First PitchPitch

The Annual First The Annual First PitchPitch

FDR threw out the first pitch of the season every April at Griffith stadium in Washington DC

FDR threw out more first pitches than any other president in history despite his physical ailments from

polio

American Sports American Sports HeroesHeroes

American Sports American Sports HeroesHeroesBaseball was not only popular but it was critical

during the depression. Baseball was the cure that many people needed by providing heroes and

symbols that Americans cherished.

Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggio Lou GehrigLou GehrigLou GehrigLou Gehrig Hank GreenbergHank GreenbergHank GreenbergHank Greenberg

Baseball's New Baseball's New DealDeal

Baseball's New Baseball's New DealDealBaseball, like the New Deal, created new

attractions in hopes of stimulating attendance and popularity

1933~All-Star Game at Comiskey Park, Chicago

1935~The first night game is played in Cincinnati

CooperstownCooperstownCooperstownCooperstown

The Baseball Hall of Fame is opened on June 12, 1939

The first players inducted were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson in 1936

1940

s1940

s

US History

US History

““NeutrNeutral”al”

““NeutrNeutral”al”After triumphing the greatest depression in US

history only a couple of years prior, the last thing the American people wanted was a war

This belief was represented by the country’s four Neutrality Acts over the course of the 1930s, the most recent in 1939

This act amended the earlier legislation by supplying the UK and France on a “cash and carry” basis

However, US vessels were forbidden to enter combat zones and citizens continued to be barred from sailing on belligerent ships

Realizing that they could no longer stand idly by, the US signed the Lend-Lease Act on March 11, 1941

Regrettably, the US could only remain neutral for so long

A Date Which Will Live in A Date Which Will Live in InfamyInfamy

A Date Which Will Live in A Date Which Will Live in InfamyInfamy

On December 7, 1941, the US was attacked by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and immediately declared war on her attacker

Four days later, the remaining Axis powers, Germany and Italy, declared war on the US

A Day

Of

Infamy!

African-Americans and World African-Americans and World War IIWar II

African-Americans and World African-Americans and World War IIWar IIIn the summer of 1941, A. Philip Randolph, president

of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, began to insist that companies receiving defense contracts should integrate their forces

Randolph planned a march on Washington that he promised would bring almost 100,000

This concept led FDR to cancel the march, but in return he established the Fair Employment Practices Committee

In 1942, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was created

In Detroit in 1943, a series of racial altercations led to two days of violence in which 34 people died, 25 of them black

Over time, military leader made racial adjustments when they realized that they were wasting manpower

By the end of the war, there were more than 700,000 black servicemen

Women and World Women and World War IIWar II

Women and World Women and World War IIWar IIThe number of women in the

work force increased by about 60% and they also accounted for a third of paid workers in 1945

Through domestic analogies, male employers believed that women would find jobs such as cutting airplane wings (making a dress pattern) and mixing chemicals (making a cake) easy

A large number of women worked for the government and became known as “government girls”

A substantial amount of women were employed by the military, as both WAACs (Army) and Waves (Navy)

Wrongful Wrongful InternmentInternmentWrongful Wrongful

InternmentInternmentFollowing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the 127,000 Japanese Americans (mainly located out west) were treated terribly and even accused of aiding Japan

Although there was no evidence, according to Earl Warren, the apparent passivity of both the Issei and the Nisei was another example of the danger they posed

In February 1942, FDR created the War Relocation Authority and placed more than 100,000 Japanese Americans in “Relocation Centers”

Two years later, the Supreme Court backed the government in the case Korematsu vs. US, stating that the relocation was constitutional

Baseball

Baseball

World War II´s Affect on World War II´s Affect on BaseballBaseball

World War II´s Affect on World War II´s Affect on BaseballBaseball

During a game at the Polo Grounds, in May of 1941, play stopped so that both fans and players could hear the president declare an unlimited emergency

That summer, fans alarmed by the front pages found a more reassuring kind of excitement in one of the best seasons in baseball history

This season was highlighted by:

Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak

Ted Williams .406 batting average

Both records still stand today

Baseball in JapanBaseball in JapanBaseball in JapanBaseball in Japan

The Japanese government denounced the game of baseball as a bad American influence

Terms such as: strike, out, and safe were outlawed

Japanese soldiers, in an attempt to anger GI’s into revealing their position, cursed Babe Ruth

Even young Japanese Americans played inside their internment camps

The Commissioner to the The Commissioner to the PresidentPresident

The Commissioner to the The Commissioner to the PresidentPresident

The President to the The President to the CommissionerCommissioner

The President to the The President to the CommissionerCommissioner

Players in the WarPlayers in the WarPlayers in the WarPlayers in the WarIn all, some 340 MLB players went into uniform in WWII

American GI’s played baseball everywhere they fought, teaching it to anyone they had come in contact with

Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTed WilliamsTed WilliamsBob FellerBob FellerBob FellerBob FellerWarren SpahnWarren SpahnWarren SpahnWarren SpahnJackie RobinsonJackie RobinsonJackie RobinsonJackie Robinson

Players in the WarPlayers in the WarPlayers in the WarPlayers in the WarAlthough some players saw combat, most stars

found themselves playing baseball for the Army and Navy to raise funds for the war and to boost the

morale of fellow soldiers

Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggio Pee Wee Pee Wee ReeseReese

Pee Wee Pee Wee ReeseReese

All American Girls All American Girls Pro Baseball LeaguePro Baseball LeagueAll American Girls All American Girls

Pro Baseball LeaguePro Baseball LeaguePhilip Wrigley, chewing-gum king and owner of the Chicago Cubs, hoped to keep up interest in baseball during the war

There were already 40,000 women playing semi-pro softball across the country and Wrigley wanted to convert the best of them to hardball

Hundreds turned up in Chicago for tryouts in may of 1932 and four teams were formed:

Rockford Peaches, Racine Belles, Kenosha Comets, and South Bend Blue Sox

All American GirlsAll American GirlsAll American GirlsAll American Girls

The Beauty of The Beauty of BaseballBaseball

The Beauty of The Beauty of BaseballBaseballNot only did players have to be good, but they

also had to be irreproachably feminine

Wrigley felt that Femininity was the keynote of his league.

“No pants-wearing, tough talking, female softballer will play on any of our four teams.”

Wrigley signed up the Helena Robinson cosmetics firm to run a charm school to help the players learn grace and elegance

Girls were required to wear skirts, high heels, and makeup off the field, otherwise they were fined

Reflecting the post-war trend towards at home diversions and the return to a more restrictive conception of femininity, the league folded in 1954

The Gradual Integration of The Gradual Integration of BaseballBaseball

The Gradual Integration of The Gradual Integration of BaseballBaseball

Even though Commissioner Landis repeatedly stated that there was no rule against the integration of baseball, there had yet to be a black player in the Major Leagues as the first half of the 20th century came to a close

The hypocrisy of fighting racism abroad while ignoring it at home grew more self evident

African American picketers appeared at Yankee Stadium with signs stating “If we are able to stop bullets, why not balls?”

Landis refused to budge and club owners continued to prohibit integrating the playing field

The Beginning of a New The Beginning of a New EraEra

The Beginning of a New The Beginning of a New EraEraIn the Fall of 1944,

Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis passed away

His replacement was, Kentucky politician, Albert Benjamin “Happy” Chandler

Benjamin, unlike Landis, was pro-integration and felt “If a black boy can make it in Okinawa and Guadal Canal, hell, he can make it in baseball!”

The Man Who Forever The Man Who Forever Changed the GameChanged the Game

The Man Who Forever The Man Who Forever Changed the GameChanged the Game

At UCLA, Jackie Robinson excelled in track, basketball, football, and his least favorite of them all, baseball

In 1944, he accepted a $400 a month contract to play with the Kansas City Monarchs

On October 23, 1945, Branch Rickey, President, GM, and Co-Owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson

On April 15, 1947, 26,623 fans (14,000 of them black) attended Ebbets Field on opening day to see Robinson play for the first time

No RespectNo RespectNo RespectNo Respect

Although Robinson was loved by the Black population and Dodgers Fans, he endured an immense amount of abuse from the rest of the baseball’s audience

At first, his own teammates, many of them southerners, didn’t want to play with him and signed a petition that said they’d rather be traded

Some examples of the abuse endured:

Threats towards him and his family

Pitches thrown at his head

Base runners tried to cut him with their cleats

Seven Years Ahead of its Seven Years Ahead of its TimeTime

Seven Years Ahead of its Seven Years Ahead of its TimeTime

For all the hardships that Robinson and other black players tolerated, and despite the slow pace of integration that followed, the MLB was well ahead of the US

A year after Robinson’s first game, the complete integration of American Armed Forces finally occurred

It would be seven years before the US Supreme Court rejected the notion that separate could truly be equal

It was not until 1965 that Congress enacted meaningful legislation to protect the basic right of black citizens to vote

The EndThe End